1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved portable device for collecting and disposing of animal excrement dropped by an animal. More specifically, the present invention relates to disposable litter shovels having means for collecting and storing the animal litter until a proper disposal site can be found. The invention includes a protective bag to protect the user's hand and arm from contact with the animal litter scooped up by the collection device and which is also used as a disposable bag containing the litter or feces and the disposable shovel.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The increase of urban populations, coupled with the increasing popularity of dogs and other pets, has created a serious sanitary problem in connection with the disposal of animal litter. Concern results not only from an aesthetic consideration but also because of the potential for the transmission of disease. Many pet owners have permitted their animals to deposit solid excrement on both private and public property. A number of communities throughout the United States have enacted ordinances requiring pet owners, under penalty of a fine, to retrieve and dispose of litter created by their pets.
Bloomfield Township of Michigan, enacted Dog Ordinance No. 423, which provides in Section 3 entitled "Sanitation" as follows: "It shall be unlawful for any person to permit any dog owned, possessed or harbored by him to deposit fecal matter any place other than the premises where the dog is harbored or kept, unless such fecal matter is immediately collected and removed to the premises where the dog is harbored or kept."
It has been found that the willingness of pet owners to retrieve and properly dispose of animal litter is related to the ease, convenience and economy with which the litter may be handled in a clean and sanitary manner. A number of collection devices and articles have been proposed for the purpose of collecting and thereafter disposing of animal litter. However, such devices have been deficient in certain respects. Some devices have been provided which are not completely disposable; thus, a user of the device must frequently clean the shovel or other apparatus used to collect the litter so as to prevent obnoxious odors and to provide for a safe and clean environment. Other types of devices which are disposable or are reusable are not completely sanitary, permitting or being susceptible of contact of the litter with the user's clothing or hands.
Other prior art devices are relatively large and cumbersome and are difficult to carry. Certain of the prior art devices require a person to use two hands to collect the waste material. Certain of the prior art devices are impractical to use and are expensive.
Thus, there has been a need in the prior art for a disposable portable collection device for animal litter which is compact, light-weight and relatively inexpensive. Such a collection device should be easily carried by a person using a hand which would also hold onto the leash of the animal. The present invention fulfills these needs and provide certain advantages over the prior art.